Thursday 5 January 2017

Carrots hate me


I can only laugh.  This is the only carrot that is visible to the eye, from my 2016 harvest.  I have never ever been able to grow carrots.  They officially hate me.  I follow the instructions, I don’t put on manured ground yet still, 1 carrot.  It’s just as well I wasn’t relying on these to feed us!
My Nemesis
Let’s see how well I fair up in 2017 with the carrot saga!

It’s been a cold start to the day at minus 1.1C when I opened up this morning.  It’s stayed dry but hasn’t got too far above freezing all day.

20 comments:

  1. Not on your own there - we can't grow carrots on our allotment....but we do grow cracking parsnips so don't worry about the carrots - I bet there's lots of veg that you have been successful at growing though xx

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    1. Ah thank you - yes we have been lucky, especially as it was our first year.

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  2. I find carrots challenging, I would like to grow enough for the animals but I dont think its likely to happen :-)

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    1. who knows! The rate you're going I wouldn't be surprised.

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  3. Ah bless you! Love the little weather report.

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    1. haha thanks :) it is something I wanted to start doing so I can compare year by year :)

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  4. We had umpteen years of growing all our veg but nearly always had severe carrot failure. I gave up in the end as they are one of the cheapest veg to buy......... better to use the ground for something that does grow and is more expensive to buy. When we had goats we used to buy sacks of animal feed carrots and use the best for us and feed the rest to the girls who loved them

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    1. Very true re being cheap. I am still hoping to grow everything we eat veg wise, one day so they won't beat me, even if it's 20 years time lol. We used to get the big bags for the ponies. Thanks :)

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  5. Keep going, we were hopeless for years and this year it was a wonderful success. I think getting an area of soil that is deeply cultivated and weed/stone free is important. Also sow seeds early or late to avoid carrot fly. Swede? We are still hopeless with them!

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    1. Glad it isn't just me that is hopeless at some things :) Thanks for the support and tips! I shall keep a note.

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  6. I didn't have much luck but we added some sand to the soil for drainage, gave it a really good dig before the winter. Onions were planted all the way around them and a fleece pegged over the top until they were established. At last a respectable result. Good Luck.

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    1. Excellent tips as well, thanks Tania. I'll report back on this years attempts

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  7. Fresh seed I think is key, buy new seed each year. Mind do well but I could grow five times as much and it still wouldn't be enough. My girls are always pulling them to eat in the garden when I'm not looking!

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    1. Oooh your girls have good taste :) they are cheap enough to buy new each year, I'll give it a go

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  8. what sort of soil do you have? if you are growing on clay you will need to do carrots in containers/raised beds as they never thrive in clay, only brassicas do really.

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    1. It is raised beds that were already there. I didn't dig any muck into it as was advised not to when researching. The drainage is good I think, I've never noticed it not to be. Good to know re the clay for other areas though, thank you.

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  9. I tend not to grow them, but when I have it's in a deep bucket of compost. I think - just grow what you can easily. Life's too short to worry about the things that want to turn up their toes to spite you!

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    1. You're exactly right about life being too short. That's why I can only laugh at them :D

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  10. We have clay soil here and have had no luck with carrots but i have been reading up and am going to plant in seaparate bed with sand mixed with compost surrounded by chives to deter carrit root fly. Apparently they dont like the smell of the chives. Good luck i intend to grow a few veggies this year. X

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